Curtailed
by locomotive
Summary: Detective Sofia Curtis wakes up after a heavy night of drinking to find that her whole life has been turned upside down. Will she survive the fall-out? WARNING: Character death
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

The heavy pounding on the door woke Sofia from her uneasy slumber. She groaned as she opened her eyes slowly. The shafts of light poking through the drawn curtains hurt her eyes. Her head was thumping and her throat was dry. She sat up gingerly and looked around to gather her bearings. The layout of the bedroom was familiar and she was relieved to see she had at least made it home last night. Her recollection of the preceeding night was sketchy. She remembered the bar and the whiskeys but the rest of it was a blur. This was the culmination of a rough few days.

Sofia tried to retrace her movements. She had been working a murder case involving Vegas businessman Leon Traynor, a property speculator. He had a knack for buying up old rundown neighbourhoods and redeveloping them into hip, respectable city quarters. He also had a very profitable drug business and used his property ventures to clean his dirty money. Sofia dealt with the fallout of his off-the-books activity every day on the Vegas streets.

She had a solid case against Traynor; a woman was found strangled in his hotel room, CCTV footage had placed them together for much of the night and there was physical evidence which linked him to the crime. The woman in question, Tracy Jones, was his girlfriend. They had a fight, he found out she had an affair and he killed her where she stood. The case should have been open and shut, but the DNA evidence, which was crucial for his conviction, was deemed inadmissible by the judge. That decision undermined the whole trial and Traynor walked free. Sofia was furious, she had spent weeks methodically building the investigation, she wanted to be sure it would go the distance. But presiding Judge Alder had put paid to that plan on a minor legal point and Traynor had just gotten away with murder. She was sure Traynor had influenced the judge somehow and she didn't hold back those thoughts. She accused Judge Alder of corruption at a very public press conference. That outburst had earned her a date with Sheriff Mobley.

"What in the hell were you thinking Curtis?" bellowed the Sheriff. "You've put yourself in contempt of court."

"Sir I..." started Sofia.

"Have you got any evidence to support your accusations?" continued Mobley.

"No Sir, not exactly, but..." replied Sofia.

"Well you've put me in one hell of a situation," said the Sheriff. "How do you think this is going to end?"

"Sir, if you just let me explain," pleaded Sofia.

"Save it. There's nothing you can say now that'll make a difference," replied Mobley. "I'm suspending you without pay for two weeks. Leave your gun and your badge on my desk."

"You can't do this," argued Sofia.

"Get out of here before I make it four weeks," roared the Sheriff.

"Yes Sir," replied Sofia, shoulders slumped.

Sofia reluctantly handed over her badge and gun and made her way out of the office. Jim Brass was outside waiting for her as she exited.

"You okay?" asked Brass softly.

Sofia sighed.

"I got a two-week suspension," she replied glumly.

"You'll get through this," said Brass.

"I've just ruined my career," said Sofia scornfully. "I don't think I'll ever recover from this."

"Just let things blow over, once the dust settles this will all be forgotten about," said Brass.

He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder before asking, "Need a ride?"

"Thanks Jim, I'm fine," replied Sofia. "I'm just gonna go home."

"Okay, you take care of yourself," said Brass.

Sofia nodded and made her way out of the building. She drove around aimlessly for a few hours. Eventually she found herself outside a bar. She quickly decided that a drink would help so she wasted no time, parked her car and strode through the door. The interior was dingy and dimly lit with torn upholstery. She pulled up a stool and looked around. The place was almost empty. There was a man sitting at the opposite end of the counter watching a football game on tv. There were two other guys playing pool at the back. All heads turned when she entered and she could sense them throwing occasional glances in her direction. But she wasn't here to cause trouble so she simply ignored them.

"Whiskey, straight up," said Sofia gesturing at the unkempt barman while making herself comfortable.

He stared at her briefly before pouring a glass and setting it on the counter. Sofia leaned on the counter with both elbows before grabbing the glass and downing it in one gulp.

"Same again," she said.

The barman eyed her suspiciously but poured a second glass. She drank this one more slowly and chased it down with a bottle of beer. And so she spent the next few hours hoping the whiskey would do the trick and drown away the bitterness she felt steadily brewing inside her. What had happened in that courtroom made her question her whole purpose as a cop. What good was it risking her own safety to chase down these thugs if they could just turn around and buy off the law makers. And to top it all off the Sheriff had made an example of her all because she stood up against this injustice. For a fleeting moment she wondered if he was complicit in this perversion but she brushed those thoughts aside. The Sheriff was a political animal, more interested in his own profile than in getting his hands dirty. Sofia mulled over the case and the trial and resolved to get Traynor. If he committed one murder you could be sure he committed others. She'd been studying other homicides as part of her preparations for the trial and she had uncovered circumstantial evidence to link him to other crimes. She decided that once her two weeks was up she would investigate those cases in more detail. Something was bound to turn up and then she'd have him.

That was Sofia's last conscious memory until she woke suddenly in her own bed with the mother of all hangovers. The persistent banging on the front door brought her back from her ruminations and she decided to investigate who was there. But first she made her way to the bathroom and splashed cold water across her face. She gasped as the refreshing liquid cleansed her sore eyes and dry skin. She towel-dried her face and then reached into the cabinet for some pain killers before downing them with a mouthful of water. Then she put on jeans and a vest and shuffled through the apartment towards the banging door. She unlocked it sleepily. No sooner was the door opened than she was rushed by several burly men. They grabbed her arms behind her back and wrestled her to the floor. They pinned her down roughly and cuffed her wrists. Sofia was startled and confused and cried out. Behind them a man in a dark suit walked through the threshold. Sofia craned her neck to try to see what was happening.

"What the hell is this?" she demanded, trying to disguise the desperation in her voice.

"LVPD!" replied the dark-suited man. "Detective Sofia Curtis, you're under arrest."

"Under arrest?" cried Sofia. "On what charge?"

"Murder," came Dark Suit's abrupt reply. "Take her away."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Sofia was pissed. She had been arrested by a dark-suited detective by the name of Wilson, who worked for Internal Affairs. Judge Alder had been found dead in his bed from gunshot wounds a few hours earlier. Wilson maintained that she was the shooter which was totally preposterous. Sure, she was angry about the trial, but that didn't mean she had hunted down the judge and shot him while he slept. After Wilson and the uniforms had barged through her front door and tackled her to the floor like a criminal, Sofia was then perp-walked through Central Booking and dumped in an interview room. There she sat alone in the room with except for a Uniform who was guarding her, waiting for the interrogation to begin.

The time passed slowly and as Sofia sat there she tried to retrace her steps from the previous night. It was no use, she was drawing a complete blank. She had no idea how she made it back to her place after the bar. She didn't remember talking to anyone other than the barman and she had no idea how long she spent there drinking. If IA did have evidence to link her to Alder's murder she was going to have a hard time putting up a plausible defense.

Suddenly the door swung open and Wilson strode in. He was followed rather sheepishly by Sara Sidle who was the CSI assigned to Alder's case. Sofia's eyes widened when she spotted Sara. She and the CSI didn't exactly see eye to eye and Sofia was sceptical that Sara would be on her side.

"Detective Curtis," Wilson said as he took a chair at the opposite side of the table to Sofia.

Sofia didn't reply, she just continued to sit there, stony-faced, staring at Wilson.

"I'm sure you know CSI Sidle," continued Wilson. "She's here to take some samples..."

"I know the drill!" snapped Sofia.

Wilson cocked his head and clucked his tongue at the outburst. He hadn't even asked her a single question and already Sofia was rattled. She scolded herself inwardly for losing control so easily.

"So let's get started," said Wilson opening up a manila folder. "Where were you between the hours of midnight and two a.m. last night?"

"What's all this about?" asked Sofia.

"I'm asking the questions here," replied Wilson sharply. "So I'll say again, where were you last night?"

Sofia paused for a moment, rolled her eyes, and sighed, "I went to a bar, I think it's called Cody's. I had a few drinks, then I went home."

"Did you go there with anyone?" asked Wilson.

"I wasn't in a sociable mood," came Sofia's sarcastic reply.

"So no-one can corroborate your whereabouts?" asked Wilson.

"Well," replied Sofia, "There was a barman there, I don't know his name, but he served me all evening."

"What did he look like?" asked Wilson.

"About five ten, two hundred pounds, forty-ish, scraggly beard, greying hair tied up in a pony-tail," replied Sofia.

Wilson jotted down some notes before continuing, "And what time did you leave?"

Sofia hesitated and shifted in her seat. Wilson jerked his head up from his notebook and looked at her intently. Sara was also surprised by Sofia's reaction and stared at her.

"It's a simple question Detective," probed Wilson.

Sofia narrowed her eyes and replied, "I'm not exactly sure what time I left the bar. I had a few drinks and lost track of time."

"Really?" said Wilson, clearly not convinced by Sofia's answer. "And how did you get home?"

"I don't remember," sighed Sofia.

"So let me get this straight," said Wilson, "you went to a bar alone, don't know what time you left or how you got home? It sounds a little convenient, don't you think?"

"It's not a bit convenient!" Sofia's voice was trembling with anger, "None if this is convenient. I mean you barged into my home, man-handled me, dragged me through my own precinct in front of my colleagues, cuffed like a criminal. And you haven't even the decency to tell me why the hell you're holding me here! What the hell is going on?" Sofia banged the table and gesticulated wildly.

Wilson sat back in his chair and smirked. He really had her rattled and he wondered what she was hiding.

"We found evidence that places you at the scene of Judge Alder's murder," he said.

Sofia shook her head, "Wha... what evidence?"

"Have you ever visited Judge Alder's house?" asked Wilson.

"Of course not," replied Sofia bruskly.

"Well we found your prints in his room," said Wilson.

"That's impossible," snapped Sofia.

"We also recovered a weapon at the scene." Wilson looked over a Sara, "CSI Sidle, would you do the honors please?"

Sara stood up, reached into her kit bag and removed a swab. She walked over to Sofia, "Can I have your right hand please, Detective?" she asked coldly.

Sofia scowled at her and reluctantly offered her hand. Sarah ran the swab across Sofia's palm, the back of the hand and wrist before capping the swab in a vial of solution. After a couple of minutes blue specks appeared on the swab.

"The test is positive for GSR," Sarah said clinically.

Sofia's face contorted when she saw the swab. "What is this, are you setting me up Sidle?" she roared.

Sara was shaken by Sofia's verocity and took a couple of steps back. The Uniform stiffened, ready to jump in.

Wilson raised his hand towards the Uniform and motioned to Sarah to sit down. "Do you understand how much trouble you're in, Detective?" he asked.

Sofia searched around the room looking confused. "I don't understand, what exactly are you saying?"

"Come on Curtis, you know what's happening here," said Wilson. "You went to Alder's house, fueled up on alcohol, still pissed over the mistrial. You broke into his house walked into his bedroom and shot him twice while he slept."

"No!" shouted Sofia.

Wilson was on his feet now, pacing the room.

He continued, "Then once you were sure he was dead, you retraced your steps, cleaning up the evidence as you went. Only you were drunk so you made mistakes and left some evidence behind." Wilson was towering over Sofia now and she flinched when she felt his breath on her neck.

"No, that didn't happen. There's no way I could do something like that, I'm a cop!" pleaded Sofia.

"A cop who lost a case, blamed the Judge and sought revenge," shouted Wilson.

"That's not true," argued Sofia.

"Then how do you explain this?" Wilson reached across Sofia and grabbed the manila folder. He slammed down a picture in front of her. Sofia's eyes widened as she studied the photo, the realisation finally dawning on her. It was a picture of the shirt she was wearing yesterday, spattered in blood.

"Do you recognise this, Curtis?" growled Wilson. "You should, we found it in your laundry basket. It's in the lab being tested as we speak and when they match the blood stains to Alder, you'll be history."

Sofia was reeling, she couldn't believe what was happening. There was no way she could possibly have shot Alder, but she couldn't explain the evidence in front of her. She straightened up in her chair and her face hardened.

"I want a lawyer."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Sofia sat on the bunk in the holding cell with her head in her hands. She was tired and her head was thumping. The last few hours had been hell, Detective Wilson had put her through the wringer. As far as he was concerned she was guilty and her lack of answers just made her look hostile. Sofia wasn't sure where Sara stood in this, but it was clear from the way she shifted in her seat and avoided eye contact that she was very uncomfortable. There had always been a certain tension between them, all the way back to when Sofia was a CSI, but she knew that Sara would remain professional despite any residual personal differences. Sofia turned over the events of this morning in her head. There was a lot of evidence which pointed towards her as the murderer. It was clear that someone wanted the police to think she had murdered the judge and one person immediately sprung to mind; Leon Traynor. He must have planted evidence to place her at the scene and accessed her home to plant the blood evidence in her laundry basket. Sofia remembered how he had threatened her after she arrested him during the Tracy Jones investigation. Traynor was subtle, he didn't say anything explicit, but his tone was filled with menace and the intent wasn't lost on her. She had heard this kind of thing a hundred times before and at the time had brushed it off. But it seemed she had underestimated him. Sofia sighed heavily, she didn't know how she was going to fix this. Brass was keeping a wide berth, as was everyone else from PD. They didn't want to be tainted by a dirty cop. Without someone on the outside to help her she'd find it very difficult to debunk the evidence.

Sofia looked up when she heard clunking metal as her cell door was unlocked. She was surprised when a familiar figure stepped out from behind the burly guard. Nick Stokes stood before her smiling sympathetically.

"Hey Sofia, are you okay?" he asked.

Sofia sighed and bowed her head. "Nick, what are you doing here? You'd better leave, you'll get into trouble."

"I figured you could use something to eat," he said revealing a brown paper bag containing take-out.

Sofia smiled cautiously. "Thanks Nick, that was sweet."

Nick nodded at the guard who backed out of the cell slowly leaving Sofia and Nick alone.

"What happened Sofia?" asked Nick as he held out the bag of food.

Sofia tensed immediately. She didn't know who to trust anymore. She couldn't help wondering why Nick was here, what he wanted, if he was sent by Wilson. She studied him intently for several minutes, trying to figure out his motives. His features were open and he looked concerned. She could see he was here as a friend only so she took the food bag and started talking.

"I wish I knew Nick, I'm in trouble," she said.

"Can you remember anything from last night?" he probed.

"Nothing after the bar," she replied. "I woke up in my apartment this morning, but I've no idea how I got there. Next thing I knew, I was bundled into the back of a black-and-white and being accused of murder. As hangovers go it's up there with the worst of them." Sofia smiled weakly.

Nick sat there listening, watching Sofia as she spoke. She looked tired, her eyes were bloodshot and her skin was grey. What struck him the most was that she looked scared, there was a hint of desperation in her voice and her eyes pleaded for his help. He felt a weight of responsibility when he realised he was her only friend in this.

Sofia continued, "It was Traynor, he set me up. Only I can't prove it."

Nick made a decision, he was going to help her.

"What do you need?" he asked.

"Well, I could use some clean clothes," replied Sofia. "I didn't expect to be in jail when I dressed this morning."

"Sure thing," said Nick. "But what I really meant was how can I help with the case?"

Sofia took in a sharp breath and hesitated before saying, "Nick, I appreciate the offer but I can't ask you to do this."

"You're not asking, I'm offering," replied Nick. "Besides, we're a team and we gotta stick together."

Sofia pursed her lips and held Nick's gaze for a moment before saying, "Don't you even want to ask me if I did it?"

Nick smiled, "I don't have to ask Sofia, I know you didn't do it."

He could see Sofia's eyes tear up as she nodded, "Thanks Nick."

Nick touched her shoulder gently and for a moment he thought she might crumble into his arms. Instead she straightened herself and he could see her fighting spirit return. They discussed the investigation in as much detail as she could remember and formulated a plan. They decided that Nick should start at Sofia's apartment. He needed to find something that proved Sofia's innocence, but he needed to stay away from the formal investigation. This one was strictly off the books.

"I'll need your keys to get into your apartment," said Nick.

"I didn't have them on me when they arrested me," said Sofia. "They're probably still in the bowl on the hall table."

"Hmm," said Nick, "that'll make things a little more difficult. Don't worry, "he drawled," I'll think of something."

Sofia smiled and closed the distance between them. She touched him gently on the arm.

"Nick, I just want to say... thanks," she said looking into in eyes. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

Nick looked down at Sofia's hand touching him and he swallowed. "Don't worry Sofia, we'll fix this. I'll check back in just as soon as I know something."

Sofia flung her arms around him in a grateful embrace. Nick hugged her back, but she immediately pulled away, wincing in pain.

"What's wrong Sofia?" he asked, concerned.

"I... I don't know," she replied confused.

"Let me... umm... see," said Nick awkwardly as he motioned for her to lift her top.

Sofia hesitated for a moment but then she removed her top revealing her toned body. She shifted around self-consciously when she noticed Nick's cheeks burn slightly as he eyed her. Nick coughed, concealing his discomfort as he moved in for a closer look. Switching to CSI mode he carefully lifted Sofia's right arm, uncovering bruising around her ribs. Moving around to her left side Nick saw the same bruising.

"Do you know where you got this bruising?" he asked Sofia.

"No," she replied. She should feel anger bubbling up inside her. Someone had done this to her and she had no memory of it. If they could do this, what else might they have done?

Nick was thinking the same thing. "You need to get yourself checked out by a medic," he said, barely concealing his fury. "So help me, if Traynor has done something to you..." He let the last sentence trail off.

"It's okay Nick," said Sofia, "this is a frame-up, Traynor wouldn't do something as stupid as that. I'll get examined and then we'll know for sure. For now let's just stick to the plan."

"Okay," said Nick, still unsure. "I have to leave now, but I'll be back as soon as I can."

Sofia nodded and Nick called the guard to let him out.

When he was gone, Sofia slumped back into the bunk. She felt violated and every inch of her skin crawled. Balling her fists she clenched her jaw and made a herself a silent promise to get Traynor once and for all.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Nick walked up the steps towards Sofia's apartment. The front door was protected by a strip of yellow police tape. He didn't have a key so he tried the door but it was locked. He walked around to the side and spotted a small sash window. Reaching into his forensics kit he retrieved a long screwdriver, inserted it into the window lock and jiggled it around. After a few minutes he head a click as the lock was released. Nick pulled open the window and looked around to be sure no-one saw him before he climbed in. He found himself in the bathroom and wasted no time priming his camera to document his visit. His technique was methodical; he scouted around for anything unusual, marked it, photographed it before studying it for physical evidence. It didn't take very long to process the bathroom. "He fingerprinted the surfaces, took hair samples and swabbed the sink drain. No sign of trace blood.

Next Nick made his way into the bedroom. He knew Sofia's blood-spattered shirt was found in the laundry hamper so he processed the room with extra care. He carefully photographed and printed the entire room. It was turned over extensively by the investigating team so there was very little new evidence to find. Trace blood in the hamper was no surprise. There was only one set of prints in the room and Nick guessed they could only belong to the occupant.

When he was finished in the bedroom Nick made his way into the living room. Again this area had been well dusted and sampled by the investigators so Nick traced their mark around the room, taking samples of his own. He did the same in the kitchen. When he was done he packed up his kit and took one last look around the empty apartment. Sofia's home resembled every other crime scene, fingerprint dust-covered every surface and it was clear that stuff had been moved around and displaced. Nick made a mental note to come back and tidy up so that Sofia wouldn't have to face the clean-up when she was released. He remembered from his conversation with Sofia that she didn't have her keys when she was arrested. That meant they should still be in the apartment. Nick looked around recalling that she had a spot for them on the hall table. He rummaged around for a few minutes but they weren't in their unusual spot. He thought for a moment and remembered he has seen a set of keys when he was processing the bedroom. It struck him as unusual that Sofia would have left them so out-of-place. No matter how drunk she was, certain actions are subconscious. He went back into the bedroom and set down his kit on the floor in front of the bedside locker. Taking out a swab Nick dabbed it on the key ring before adding indicator solution. The swab turned pink signalling blood. No major surprise there, after all there was plenty of blood evidence already available. He dusted the front door key and pulled off a partial print. Happy that he had fully processed the key ring Nick picked up and pocketed the bunch. He exited the apartment through the front door, printing it front and back before he left. Walking back down the steps towards his SUV he noticed the flowerbed flanking the pathway had been disturbed. It was most likely from all the police traffic but he documented it nonetheless. He took photos and soil samples as well as a couple of shoe print casts. As he was hunched over one such cast Nick tilted his head and spotted some scuff marks on the pathway leading towards the apartment. Unsure what could have caused these marks he took photos from various angles as well as some samples.

Once done he packed everything up and headed back towards the lab.

* * *

Sofia sat alone on a gurney in the PD medical bay, dressed in a surgical gown. She had taken Nick's advice and requested an examination. After several minutes two women walked into the room. Sofia groaned inwardly when she saw that one of them was Sara. The first woman introduced herself as Nurse Collins. She was a short, stocky woman with dark hair tied up in a bun. Her features were kind and she spoke softly as she explained the procedure. Sara stayed in the background, preparing her camera equipment while the nurse set up the rape kit before asking Sofia to lie back on the gurney and spread her legs. Sofia sighed heavily, she was clearly uncomfortable having Sara in the room and she wondered if it was completely necessary. Almost as if Sara could sense Sofia's unease she spoke up.

"Look Sofia, I know this is awkward, but you know procedure, I have to maintain chain of custody of the evidence. Also, I'll need to take some pictures once the nurse is done."

Sofia didn't reply, she just lay there staring at the ceiling. The nurse worked efficiently, carefully swabbing her sensitive area and combing through the hair. She also took scrapings from under Sofia's fingernails before taking more comb samples from her head. Before too long the nurse had finished and she packed up all the samples into the kit box while Sara began taking the photographs. She started at Sofia's feet, working upwards methodically. There was no sign of bruising around the legs or thighs and Sara diligently documented this. Next she moved to Sofia's arms. She noted some bruising around the wrists and upper arms. Next she needed to photograph the bruising around the ribs.

"Can you remove your gown so I can take a look at your ribs please?" she asked in a steady tone.

Sofia rolled her eyes but slipped the gown down along her arms so that the upper half of her body was exposed.

Sara froze and took in a quiet gasp. She had often wondered how Sofia looked naked and the reality was better than anything her mind had conjured. Her muscles were perfectly toned and exhibited strength, despite her slender frame. Her breasts were perfectly formed and rose and fell gently with each breath. She had spent many sleepless nights fantasizing about Sofia, but never like this, the circumstances were all wrong. Sara was suddenly shaken out of her thoughts by Sofia.

"Are you alright Sara?" she asked self-consciously.

"Um, yeah, sorry," replied Sara. "I've done this hundreds of times but it's never been someone I know before. I'm sorry, I don't mean to make you feel uncomfortable. I'll pull it together."

"It's okay Sara," said Sofia. "This whole situation is a bit unreal. I just need you to do your job as well as I know you can. I need you to find out the truth so I can get the hell out of here."

Sofia's shoulders were slumped and she looked tired. Sara studied Sofia intently for a moment. Any doubts she may have had about Sofia's innocence quickly evaporated. Sara grabbed the camera and with renewed purpose and began taking the last photographs. She noted the bruising around the ribs as well as an unusual mark on Sofia's back. She couldn't make out what it was so she took extra close-ups. When she was done she spoke.

"I'm finished now, you can put your gown back on."

As she packed up her camera continued, "Look Sofia, I owe you an apology. When I first heard about the judge's murder, I thought you were guilty."

"It's okay Sara," said Sofia. "Traynor did a good job. In fact, I don't think you or I could've done better."

Sara scowled, "What do you mean?"

"Um, I don't know really. It's just that it took a lot of knowledge of our protocols and procedures to complete the frame-up so precisely," replied Sofia.

"Are you saying he had some help?" asked Sara quickly.

Sofia paused, "Maybe. I mean, it would make sense."

The more Sofia thought about it the more likely it seemed. They had planted a lot of very technical evidence; blood spatter, fibres, finger prints. They had planned the timeline perfectly and had established motive, means and opportunity. As it stood it was a perfect frame-up and Sofia's guilt looked absolute.

"Sofia, if this is true then this is big," said Sara as the cogs worked in her brain. "We need to be careful who we confide in. Keep it to yourself for now, I'll talk to Grissom."

"Look Sara, there's something else I need to tell you," said Sofia. "Nick came to visit me in my cell and he's been gathering evidence on his own.

"That's good," said Sara. "It means that it's not part of the official investigation and not subject to scrutiny by our potential mole. I'll see what he's got and let you know. In the meantime stay alert, it may not be safe for you here."

Sofia was surprised by the level of concern in Sara's voice. They had never exactly been friends. In fact Sofia would describe their relationship as strained at best. She wondered now if there was more to it than she realised. But that was a question for another time.

"I'll be okay Sara, they won't try anything while I'm in here, it'll blow their cover."

"Okay," said Sara, unsure. "I'll be back to see you as soon as I have something concrete. But I'm taking you back to the cell, I can't trust the guard. And don't bother arguing with me. "

Sofia nodded and changed back into her clothes while Sara averted her gaze. They walked back to the cell in silence. As the guard approached to lock in Sofia, Sara said, "Don't worry, we'll figure this out."

With that Sofia was alone again. Only this time she didn't feel alone.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Later that evening Sarah caught up with Nick in the layout room.

"Hey Nick, what'ya doing?"

"Um, nothing," replied Nick as he quickly closed a manila folder.

"I spoke to Sofia Nick, I know what you're doing and it's okay. I'm here to help."

Sarah recounted her conversation with Sofia and explained their theory about an inside mole.

"I was thinking the same thing," said Nick. "I came across some evidence which doesn't add up." He opened up the manila folder and handed it to Sara, "Take a look at this."

As Sara leafed through the pages she started to frown. How come she hadn't spotted this at the scene? Was she losing her touch? Nick talked her through his research, "I lifted this partial print off Sofia's house keys. It's not a match for her. I put it through CODIS but no hit."

"This means someone either mishandled it at the scene or Sofia didn't let herself in to her apartment that night," said Sara.

"I ran it against everyone who worked the scene, no match," said Nick. "And take a look at these pictures." Sara studied the scuff marks in the photos. "Any idea what could have caused them?" asked Nick.

Sara thought for a moment. "Wait here one minute." She jumped up and ran out of the room. A few minutes later she returned with her own manila folder.

"I took these photos at the scene, I thought it was a little strange at the time," said Sara, handing Nick the folder.

"Sofia's boots," said Nick. "The heels are scuffed." Nick compared the two sets of pictures. "These pavement scuff marks match the marks from Sofia's boots."

Sara nodded. "There's no way she could have made those marks herself, she was dragged."

"This is all good stuff but so far it's sketchy at best. Have we anything more concrete?" said Nick.

"No," sighed Sara. "But I still don't have all the evidence. I'm waiting for the blood spatter report, but I have the rape kit results right here."

Nick looked up sharply, "Any sign of rape?"

Sara shook her head. Nick released a long breath. He was surprised by how worried he'd been about that. Working this off-the-books case had shown him a different side to Sofia and it awakened feelings in him he hadn't expected.

"There's something else though," said Sara, looking confused. "There were black and red fibers in Sofia's hair."

"Any idea where they came from?" asked Nick.

"No," replied Sara, "but I pulled black and red fibers from her clothes too."

"Well there's no black and red carpet in Sofia's apartment," said Nick, "so this could be something. Anything back from trace yet?"

"Let me check." After a quick phone call Sara discovered that the fibers pulled from Sofia's clothes were from the carpet of a car trunk.

"Sara," said Nick, "Sofia was set up. We gotta tell Grissom."

Sara and Nick quickly gathered up the evidence and rushed to Gil Grissom's office. They found him sitting in his chair reading a forensics journal. They talked through all the evidence and explained their theory about the inside job. Grissom didn't speak but listened intently, the only sign of recognition was the occasional twitch of his lower lip. Having considered the data for a few minutes he eventually spoke.

"The evidence is compelling and there's no doubt that Sofia was set up. But it's not enough to exonerate her, it's all circumstantial. We'll need something more definite if we're to get her out of this. Have you anything else to show me?"

"Only the photos I took of Sofia today," replied Sara. "But it's just bruising, nothing special." Sara paused for a moment as something occurred to her, "Except for this one set of pictures. She had a mark on her back, I couldn't make it out."

"Let me see," said Grissom. He poured over the photos, frowning in concentration. "A footprint," stated Grissom matter-of-factly. "Have you tried to match it with prints from the crime scenes?" he asked.

"No, I'll get right on it," said Sara as she turned to leave the room.

Grissom and Nick spent the time working through all the evidence, trying to find definite proof of Sofia's innocence. Their current theory was that Sofia was taken from the bar, probably drugged, tied up and put in the trunk of a car. From there she was taken to the judge's house where evidence of her presence was planted; things such as finger and footprints, as well as hair strands. It's likely she even shot the judge, but probably only when he was already dead. That would have left the trace gunshot evidence on her hands, not to mention the blood spatter on her shirt. Afterwards she was taken back to her apartment – roughly based on the bruising around the wrists, arms and ribs – where both she and the blood evidence were planted, thus completing the frame-up.

Nick called Archie to see if he'd finished checking the street cameras and CCTV of the areas around the bar, the judge's house and Sofia's apartment. Archie had found a suspicious car which was placed near each scene, but nothing that definitely linked it to the crime. The timing from the cameras showed that the car was in the vicinity of the bar first, then the judge's house and finally near Sofia's place. He had a make and model – a blue Buick Regal – but no number plate. Nick thanked Archie and hung up. His next call was to David Hodges.

"Do you have a car make from the fibers on Sofia's clothes?" Nick asked.

"Well, the fibers are black and red which is nothing unusual in itself," replied Hodges. "In fact, it's found in several hundred car makes and models."

"That's not much help," groaned Nick.

"I wouldn't be so sure," said Hodges. "I measured the fiber thickness and compared it to the specifications from each car manufacturer. The carpet is used by GM cars, Cadillacs and Buicks to be precise."

"Thanks Hodges," said Nick as he snapped closed his cell phone. He turned sharply as Sara rushed into the office.

"I checked out the footprint," she stuttered, out of breath. "It's a match to prints found at the judge's house and outside Sofia's apartment. I also checked the internal database to see if I could match the partial finger print."

"And..?" asked Grissom.

"Take a look for yourself." said Sara slapping down the report on Grissom's desk. Nick and Grissom read the sheet. "Jesus," cried Nick, "I don't believe it. Plus he drives a Buick!"

Grissom's expression turned grim. He picked up his phone and roughly punched numbers on keypad. "Brass, it's Grissom. Sofia's in danger. We need to get her out of here, now!"


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Sofia jerked her head up from the bunk where she was resting when she heard the clunking metal of the cell door being unlocked. She was confused when she realized that it wasn't Sara or Nick at the entrance, but instead Warrick Brown, CSI Level 3 and part of the Graveyard Shift. He was flanked on either side by armed police, dressed in full combat gear. Sofia was about to speak but she was hushed quickly by the tall CSI, "We have to move you, it's not safe here anymore."

Sofia was startled, "What going on Rick, where's Brass?"

"He's gone ahead to secure the safe house. He sent me to get you." Sofia was still a little unsure so Warrick continued, "There's a mole in the Department and he didn't trust anyone else. Come on, we have to move fast."

Sofia stood up reluctantly and got ready to leave. Warrick took a few steps forward; that's when she noticed the restraints. Her eyes grew wide and she hesitated.

Warrick noticed her change in demeanor and tried to reassure her. "I'm sorry about this Sof," he said gently, "it's standard procedure when transporting a prisoner."

Sofia grimaced at the word 'prisoner', her stomach bile turned sour and she suddenly felt queasy. However she hid her unease as she presented her hands and feet without protest. It was Warrick's turn to feel uncomfortable as he secured his former CSI colleague to the waist chain and handcuffs. Next he crouched to put on the leg irons. Sofia swallowed hard when she heard the click of the irons tightening around her limbs. She had relinquished control and was in Warrick's hands now.

Warrick lead Sofia silently and quickly through the corridors of the precinct until they reached a rear exit. They were closely escorted by the armed guards, one of which threw open the exit door to reveal the awaiting van. Sofia was loaded into the back of the van with Warrick, meanwhile the guards locked them in before making their way to the front compartment. As Sofia tried to make herself comfortable, the van started up. It wasn't long before they left the city lights behind them as they barreled down the road to their secret destination.

Sofia was still confused, where was Brass and the others? Who did Traynor have on the inside? What was going to happen once she reached the safe house? If Traynor had her in his sights it would only be a matter of time before he would get her; his influence was spread wide.

"Rick, now that we're away from prying eyes, can you tell me what the hell's going on?" she asked nervously.

Warrick sighed, he knew what questions were coming and he didn't know how to answer them. "I don't have the full story Sof, I got a call from Brass saying that he needed me to come and get you, it wasn't safe for you anymore."

"Where are we going?"

"Honestly? I don't know. Nick and Sara found evidence of a mole in the PD so Brass is keeping the details confidential. Only the driver knows the location of the safe house."

"Can we trust him?" asked Sofia.

"He was hand-picked by Brass, so I guess we have to," replied Warrick.

As the van wound down nondescript roads they continued to discuss the case. Although Warrick wasn't on the investigating team he had heard updates through the shift briefings. He summarized what he knew, explaining about the new evidence Nick and Sara had uncovered which cast doubt over Sofia's guilt. He had also heard through the grapevine that they had identified a potential traitor in the ranks. Sofia scowled as she took it all in. It wasn't difficult to believe that Traynor could've gotten to one of theirs, in his line of business he was bound to know the skeletons in people's closets. But she couldn't believe that someone who she worked with could conspire to frame her for murder, let alone try to harm her in her cell. The more she thought about it the more uneasy she felt. She absent-mindedly reached to rub her eyes but was stopped short by her restraints. Sofia looked down at them and then to Warrick in an unspoken request. He returned her gaze apologetically, "I'm sorry Sof, I can't make an exception, even for you." Sofia didn't reply, she just nodded slowly and slumped back helplessly.

They passed the rest of the journey in silence. Sofia had no idea where she was being taken. It all seemed surreal; two days ago life was normal, she was just an ordinary cop doing her job. Then suddenly, her world was turned upside down. She had been arrested for murder and found herself in the same cells she had used to detain countless perps. That walk through central booking was a low point in her life. She knew that it didn't matter that she wasn't guilty; mud like that sticks. Whatever way this played out, it would be a long time before she could walk through there with her head held high. As she mulled this over she was overtaken by a sense of anger. One man was responsible for all of this – Traynor. She had to find a way out of this mess so she could put him down once and for all.

The van ground to a halt; they had finally reached the safe house. Sofia pushed her anger aside and smiled weakly at Warrick.

"What's going to happen now Rick?" she asked.

Warrick didn't reply, his face had turned grim and he looked like he was going to be sick.

"Rick, what's going on?" Sofia was scared by Warrick's sudden change.

As the van was unlocked Warrick stood and without warning forced a woven sack over Sofia's head. Sofia cried out in confusion and fear.

"I'm sorry Sof," Warrick choked as Sofia was pulled out of the van by the armed guards. "Traynor threatened to kill me, and come after my wife. I didn't have any other choice."

"Rick…." came the suppressed cry as Sofia was dragged into the nearby warehouse. Once she was out of sight Warrick moved the van out of view and followed her slowly into the deathly black.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

The Graveyard Shift was reeling from their discovery. Nick, Sara and Grissom stood there without speaking for several minutes before Sara finally broke the silence.

"Are you totally sure it's Warrick?" she pleaded. "We must've made some mistake?"

Grissom glared at her; he didn't make mistakes, especially not like this. He replied simply, "I know it doesn't make any sense Sara, but the facts speak for themselves. Warrick is our mole."

Nick sagged into a chair and held his head in his hands. He couldn't believe their discovery. Their colleague had betrayed them all. Nick was questioning his own judgment; he was a CSI, trained to spot inconsistencies. Why hadn't he seen what Warrick was doing? If he could be this wrong about his best friend, what else had he missed? Warrick had deceived them and had helped to frame Sofia for murder. They had worked countless cases together yet still he could behave so unscrupulously. Nick had trusted Warrick, he had shared personal stuff with him that hid from everyone else. In the aftermath of the Walter Gordon case, Warrick was there to help Nick pick up the pieces. Thinking of that now Nick felt angry. How could Warrick make a fool of him like that? How long had Warrick been making fools of all of them? He slammed his fist down on the table. The sudden outburst shocked Grissom and Sara.

"Nick, are you okay?" asked a concerned Sara.

"Why did he do it?" asked Nick.

"I don't know," replied Sara. "Traynor obviously has some sort of hold over him."

"No," said Nick, "I mean how could he have made fools of us all?"

Sara had no answer, she just stood there staring at Nick with pity.

The awkward silence was broken when Jim Brass rushed into the room. He looked anxious. Grissom was the first to spot him. "What's the matter Jim?"

"Sofia's gone!" replied Brass in a panicked voice.

Nick snapped to attention, "What do you mean gone?"

"Warrick has taken her. He arrived at the cell about twenty minutes ago with forged paperwork saying I left orders to move her to a safe house."

"Son of a…" started Nick, fists balled in rage.

"Do we know where he's taken her?" interrupted Sara quickly.

"No," replied Brass. "He left in an unmarked van accompanied by two guards."

"Do we know in which direction they headed?" asked Grissom.

"CCTV from the parking lot puts them heading North but we've no sightings of them after that," replied a perplexed Brass.

"Maybe we could track them," said Sara, thinking aloud. "We could use his cell phone. All we need is his number and we can use his signal to triangulate his position."

"It's worth a try," said Brass. "I'll make some calls."

"Brass?" said Nick.

"Yeah?"

"Just hurry, okay?"

* * *

Sofia was lugged into a large warehouse and thrown roughly to the ground. Without free hands to break her fall she landed awkwardly, shredding the skin on her left arm as she skidded to a halt. She was stunned by the sudden impact and grunted in pain. Collecting herself quickly Sofia tried to get her bearings. She couldn't see thanks to the sack, which still clung to her head. Clambering to her knees, she could hear movement to her left. The ground was rough underneath her, like uneven concrete. The room felt draughty and vault-like, the smell of damp clung heavily to the air. Her senses were on high alert as she tried to understand what was happening. She could hear the shuffling of feet and the click of a gun, which made her to gulp in fear. Sofia's mind was racing; were the guards waiting for Traynor or had he left instructions for them to kill her? If Sofia knew him like she thought then he would insist on the personal touch. That meant the guards were in a holding pattern until he arrived. It didn't give Sofia much time to act; maybe if she could connect with Warrick she could convince him to save her before it was too late.

"Warrick! Are you here?" she cried.

Silence.

"Warrick, answer me. You owe me that much!"

Still nothing.

"Why Warrick? Just tell me how you could sell me out like that?"

Without warning Sofia felt a sharp pain on her left temple as she was struck by something hard and blunt. She yelped as she fell to the floor dazed, her head throbbing.

"Shut up, Bitch!" came the stern warning. It wasn't Warrick's voice.

Sofia squirmed around on the ground. The power had gone from her limbs and she couldn't pull herself up into a kneeling position. With a lot of effort she eventually managed to flip herself onto her back. She could feel something warm and sticky coating the sack, which still covered her head.

Sofia lay on the floor for some time. She couldn't shake the feeling that Warrick was in the room but she heeded the guard's warning and maintained radio silence. She spent the time wondering what could have happened to drive Warrick to this action. They were friends and colleagues and had spent countless hours solving cases together. Warrick had always taken pride in his work, in bringing the bad guys to justice. Sofia couldn't imagine what had changed for Warrick to forsake his principles so completely. Her heart sank as she thought of how he had betrayed her. She was helpless in that cell and had trusted him completely. And why wouldn't she, he always had her back - but not this time. Whatever the reason, one thing was for sure, he couldn't come back from this.

Finally Sofia heard the footsteps of someone approaching. She was pulled up roughly into a kneeling position. The thick sack was yanked off her head and she blinked hard, tilting her head sideways to shield her eyes from the sudden glare of light. While her eyes adjusted, Sofia was temporarily blinded. However she could hear just fine and she froze where she knelt when she heard a familiar voice ring out from across the room.

"Detective Curtis! Welcome. I'm so glad you could join us."

As Sofia's vision came into focus she could make out the sinewy frame of Leon Traynor stepping out from the shadows. From the tone of his voice you could be excused for thinking that he was welcoming her to a dinner party and not an execution.

"It was a bit of a challenge arranging your liberation from jail but we had able help," sneered Traynor, gesturing towards Warrick, who Sofia finally noticed was standing away to the left. Glancing away from Warrick she fixed her gaze back on Traynor. Sofia's lip began to tremble in fear but she covered it with a grimace.

Smiling dangerously, Traynor swaggered forward a couple of steps. "So, I bet you're wondering how your good friend Warrick Brown could set you up like this?" Sofia didn't reply; she just scowled. Looking at Warrick, Traynor continued, "Would you like to explain to the good Detective, or shall I?"

Before Warrick had a chance to respond Traynor carried on, "Right then, allow me."

Traynor paused for a moment for dramatic effect before speaking, "Your colleague over here found himself in financial difficulties, to the tune of eighty thousand dollars. I guess Monday night football isn't your forte, eh Mister Brown?!"

Warrick didn't reply, he just stood there with his head bowed.

"So me being such a civic-minded person, when he came to me for help I couldn't turn him away. I agreed to lend him the money and in return he agreed to… well let's just say he returned the favor. I'm sure I don't need to explain it to you Detective," said Traynor, arching his fuzzy eyebrows.

Sofia turned her glare to Warrick; he still didn't look up.

Traynor carried on, "Things got a little sticky for me with that girl, but luckily I had an able investigator on my side."

Sofia stared icily at Warrick. The room suddenly got even chillier.

"But you just couldn't let it go, could you, Detective?" Traynor's voice turned hard. "You just had to keep coming for me so I had to get you out of the way. Thanks to your big mouth pinning the Judges murder on you was easy. Warrick's expertise came in particularly handy."

More chill.

"But even behind bars you were a pain in my ass!" He was yelling now. "Which brings us to the here and now."

Sofia shifted her glacial gaze from Warrick back to Traynor. "Thanks for the history lesson," she hissed. "But let's just cut to the chase. It's clear at least one of us won't be walking out of here. Let's just get this over with."

Traynor's eyes narrowed. He took another few steps forward before he produced a Glock 19. Sofia quivered. Traynor slowly raised the weapon. Sofia took a sharp intake of breath and steadied herself for the inevitable. But then Traynor did something that surprised her. He handed the gun to Warrick.

"Consider this your final installment, Mister Brown," he snarled.

Warrick staggered backward, "No Man, I won't do it, you can't ask me to do it!" he argued.

Traynor replied coolly, "I hope you haven't forgotten our little arrangement? It wouldn't be good for your wife's health if you did."

Warrick flinched but didn't take the gun. The guard closest to him poked his own gun into Warrick's ribs. Warrick stiffened and his face turned sour. Reluctantly, he took the gun from Traynor. Smiling smugly, Traynor spoke again, "You know what to do Warrick."

Sofia's eyes grew wide as Warrick turned to face her. She started shaking her head, not wanting to believe that he could actually go through with it. He raised the gun until it was pointing directly at her.

"Warrick, don't do this," she pleaded.

He looked like he was going to be sick, but Warrick continued to point the gun at her. He released the safety and armed the chamber with a resolute click.

Sofia continued to appeal to him, "Warrick, if you do this you won't ever be able to live with yourself. Think about that. You still have a chance to make things right. Warrick!"

Warrick's gun arm started to shake and his eyes welled up. But he continued to point it straight at Sofia. Traynor grinned insanely. _Two birds….._

Sofia looked into Warrick's eyes and saw a change. She shook her head in denial and cried, "NO!" Warrick mouthed a silent "I'm sorry." He squeezed the trigger of the Glock. But as he did so, he wheeled around abruptly to his right and let off two rounds. _Bang! Bang!_ The first guard collapsed to the ground. Continuing his motion, Warrick fired another shot. The second guard returned fire desperately as he also fell to the ground. Traynor looked stunned for a moment as he watched on in dismay. Sofia's eyes were trained on Warrick as he turned back towards her, smiling weakly. She watched helplessly as he fell to his knees clutching his midriff. Blood poured through his fingers and formed a pool on the ground. His eyes were unfocused and his skin turned grey. He sagged to the floor, his body limp.

Sofia knelt there for a moment, unable to take in what had just happened. Her mind was swimming with images of gunfire and blood; Warrick's expression as he collapsed; the two motionless bodies to the left. Movement to her right snapped her back to the present. She decided to act and spotting the Glock on the ground she lunged awkwardly towards Warrick's body, hoping to grab the gun before Traynor grasped it. But she came up short, her cuffed wrists preventing her from reaching it.

Amused by the vain attempt, Traynor snorted. He casually strolled over towards the gun, stopping at Sofia's head. As she craned her neck she could see the tips of his black leather shoes. She wailed in frustration. He stooped down and scooped up the gun. Standing directly over her he rolled her over with a sharp jab from his right boot. "I want you to see me pull the trigger," he snarled as he pointed the gun directly at her head. Sofia closed her eyes as she heard him arm the weapon.

A shot rang out. She opened her eyes to see a surprised look on Traynor's face as he tumbled downward. An army of people swarmed into the vast space and she collapsed in relief when Nick Stokes filled her vision.

"Sofia, are you okay?" he asked desperately as he pulled her up into a tight embrace.

"Yeah," she replied plainly. "Warrick?"

Nick's expression turned serious and he shook his head. Sofia nodded silently. Looking down at her hands she asked, "Can you get me out of these things?"

"Sure," replied Nick.

A few minutes later she was freed and Nick escorted her out of the Warehouse. They didn't pause as they passed Warrick's body. They walked silently to Nick's SUV and he held the door open as she climbed in.

"They'll want to question me," Sofia said feebly.

"They can wait a while," answered Nick softly. He stroked her face tenderly. Sofia looked at him, surprised by this unexpected act. She didn't protest, instead she locked eyes with him. Then it was her turn to surprise as she reached across and kissed him, gently at first. He responded eagerly and quickly the intensity grew. Sofia reveled in the feelings that rushed through her; excitement, longing, warmth, uncertainty, happiness, fear.

* * *

Sara approached Nick's vehicle. Brass was looking for Sofia; they needed to debrief her. She had spotted Nick escorting Sofia outside and she guessed they headed for his SUV. As she got closer she spotted movement in the car. Slowly the view came into focus. _Nick was kissing Sofia._ Sara stopped in her tracks and stood there motionless for a moment. Tears stung her eyes and her lower lip trembled. Eventually she turned around and headed back toward the warehouse.

* * *

Sofia broke off the kiss and again stared searchingly into Nick's brown orbs. She had lots of questions but for now decided to hold them. Instead she relaxed into his arms, enjoying the security he offered.

"Sofia," said Nick after a while.

Sofia pulled back and looked at him.

"I came too close to losing you tonite. I'm never letting you go. Never, ever!"

She smiled, "Sounds like I don't have any choice in the matter!"

"No ma'am," drawled Nick, "you sure don't!"

As Nick pulled her to him for another kiss Sofia grinned inwardly. This was one ultimatum she could definitely live with.


End file.
